Demystifying Mobile App Tech Stacks: A Simple Breakdown

Choosing a mobile tech stack is a lot like playing Jenga, the game of balance. Just as the tower of blocks needs a solid base to stay upright, a mobile app relies on a robust tech stack for stability and optimal performance. The wrong tech stack compromises project time, budget, scalability and security, causing the blocks to crash.

Tech stacks, though, are not one-size-fits-all. Different projects require different tech stacks. If you were building a high-traffic social media app, you’d need tech stack that supports scalability and performance. A business app would need tech stack that prioritizes integration.

Mobile Tech Stack Design

The tech stack for mobile app development includes four main components:

• Front-end: The front-end is the technology that drives the user-interface of a mobile app. This displays data and handles user input. The front-end includes the app’s layout, buttons, animations, and other visual elements. It also handles user interactions with the app, such as taps, swipes, and clicks. It shapes the user’s overall experience, making it a pivotal part of creating user-friendly and engaging mobile apps.
• Back-end: The backend encompasses various storage solutions, including online servers and offline databases. It stores and organizes data and ensures that everything on the app’s front-end (what users see) works. For example, when you open a food delivery app, the backend responds to the request by fetching your location and retrieving a list of restaurants that are nearby. It also fetches the menu when you select a restaurant, handles payment, and sends notifications on your order status.
• Platform: The platform is the operating system that an app runs on – Android, iOS, iPadOS, or watchOS. Each platform offers an array of development tools for app creation and execution. For instance, when developing an app for iOS, the developers use iOS Software Development Kit (SDK), as it provides the necessary tools and resources. Similarly, Android developers rely on the Android SDK for app development. The available tools, libraries, and resources for a particular platform or programming language supports effective development.
• Hosting: Hosting can be divided into two main aspects: front-end hosting (app distribution) and back-end hosting. App distribution or front-end hosting is the process of making the app available to users. Mobile apps can be distributed on the App Store or Play store or via platform-specific private distribution channels, such as unlisted app publishing, Mobile Device Management (MDM) distribution, or enterprise distribution. Back-end hosting involves provisioning and managing servers that handle data processing, application logic, and communication with front-end devices. Cloud hosting services like Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud are popular backend hosting choices due to their flexibility and scalability in addressing the demands of modern applications.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Tech Stack

Selecting the tech stack for a mobile app is like picking ingredients for your favorite meal. You need to think about a few important factors to make the app just right:

• Project Requirements: It’s crucial to define the app’s scope and features. Different tech stacks are better suited for various types of apps, whether it’s a gaming app, a social networking platform, or an e-commerce solution.
• Target Platforms: Determine if you’re focusing on a single platform (iOS or Android) or multiple platforms through cross-platform development.
• Performance and Security: The level of performance and security varies based on project requirements. Generally, native apps offer top-notch performance.
• Development Time: Some tools, especially in cross-platform development, expedite development by allowing code reuse across platforms, potentially saving time.
• User Experience (UX): Native apps often provide a superior user experience due to their access to native device features. Also, considering the device form factor (tablets or mobile), as it significantly influences UX decisions.
• Developer Expertise: A skilled development team can help you choose the right tech stack and ensure quality services.
• Community Support: Research the tech stack’s community support. Whether you’re developing in-house, outsourcing, or planning to maintain the app internally after deployment, when you encounter a problem or have a question, you can turn to the community for assistance. Moreover, a tech stack with a strong community is more stable and less likely to become obsolete.
• Third-Party Integrations: Choose a tech stack that supports easy integration with third-party services and tools your app may need.
• Scalability: Some tech stacks are better suited for building scalable solutions. Consider future growth when making your choice.
• Budget: Some tools and frameworks come with licensing costs or specific resource requirements, so budget constraints need consideration.
• Maintenance and Updates: Think about the long-term maintenance and update requirements of the app. A tech stack that’s well-supported and maintained can save headaches down the road.

Tech Stack for iOS App Development

Programming Languages:
Swift and Objective-C are the two main programming languages used for iOS app development. Swift is a newer language, introduced by Apple in 2014. It is designed to be more modern, safe, and concise than Objective-C. Swift is also faster than Objective-C, and it is easier to learn for new programmers. Objective-C has been around since the early 1980s. It is still relevant, especially for maintaining legacy iOS apps or integrating with libraries written in Objective-C.

Development Tools:
Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) developed by Apple for macOS. It provides a unified workflow for developing apps in various Apple’s platforms, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Catalyst. Xcode includes a code editor, a debugger, a simulator, and a variety of other tools for developing, testing, and debugging apps.

iOS SDK is a software development kit (SDK) created by Apple for developing apps for iOS. It includes a vast library of APIs that developers can use to access the features of the iOS operating system. It also includes a number of frameworks that developers can use to build common app features. These frameworks include UIKit, Foundation, and CoreData.

UI Frameworks:
UIKit and SwiftUI are the two main frameworks used for designing user interfaces on iOS. UIKit, with its long-standing presence since the early 2000s, remains a robust choice for complex designs. SwiftUI, introduced by Apple in 2019, offers a more modern and intuitive approach, as the framework is still evolving, it may not yet be the optimal choice for highly intricate designs. UIKit continues to be more popular for its maturity and suitability in handling complex UI layouts.

Testing and Debugging:
XCTest is Apple’s official testing framework. Developers use it to write unit tests and UI tests, ensuring that their iOS apps function correctly and remain bug-free. Instruments is a performance analysis tool developed by Apple for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. It helps developers analyze app performance, identify memory leaks, track CPU usage, and monitor network activity during development and testing.

Tech Stack for Android App Development

Programming Languages:
Java and Kotlin are the two main programming languages used for Android app development. Java has been around since the early 2000s and is a powerful language that is used by many popular Android apps. However, Java can be difficult to learn. Kotlin is a newer language that was introduced by JetBrains in 2011. It is designed to be more concise and easier to learn and has a number of safety features that can help to prevent bugs. Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java, so you can use Kotlin code in Java projects and vice versa. This makes it easy to migrate from Java to Kotlin or to use both languages in the same project.

Development Tools:
Android Studio is the official Integrated Development Environment (IDE) provided by Google for Android app development. It’s a feature-rich environment that streamlines coding, debugging, and deployment of Android apps. Android SDK is a software development kit (SDK) created by Google for developing apps for Android. It includes a set of tools and resources that developers need to create Android apps, such as APIs and frameworks.

UI Frameworks:
Android UI Widgets are the traditional way to build UIs for Android apps. They are a set of pre-built UI components that can be used to create a variety of user interfaces. Android UI Widgets are easy to use and can be adapted to different screen sizes and resolutions. However, they can be difficult to learn and use, and they can be slow to render. Jetpack Compose is a newer UI toolkit that is designed to simplify UI development for Android apps. It uses a declarative approach to UI development, which means that you describe the UI you want to create, and Jetpack Compose takes care of the details of how to render it. Jetpack Compose is faster to render than Android UI Widgets, and it is easier to learn and use.

Testing and Debugging:
JUnit is a unit testing framework that is used to write and execute unit tests in Java and Kotlin. UI Automator and Espresso are UI testing frameworks that can be used to automate and perform tests on the user interface (UI) of apps. Android Profiler is a suite of tools that can be used to analyze and optimize Android apps. It provides insights into app performance, memory usage, CPU utilization, and network activity. Android Profiler can be used to identify performance bottlenecks and to optimize your app for better performance.

Tech Stack for Cross-Platform Development

Cross-platform app development involves using a set of tools and technologies that allow developers to create apps that can run on multiple operating systems and platforms with a single codebase. Below is an overview of the tech stack commonly used for cross-platform app development:

Programming Languages:
JavaScript is the most commonly used language for cross-platform app development. TypeScript, a statically typed superset of JavaScript, is also a popular cross-platform programming language. They are used with various frameworks to build cross-platform apps. Dart, a programming language that is used with Flutter framework, offers a unique approach to cross-platform development and C# is used with Xamarin framework for cross-platform development.

Development Tools:
Visual Studio Code is a lightweight and versatile code editor that supports JavaScript, TypeScript, and Dart. Xcode is Apple’s official integrated development environment (IDE) for iOS app development, often used alongside cross-platform frameworks. Android Studio is Google’s official IDE for Android app development, it is compatible with cross-platform frameworks for Android app deployment.

UI Frameworks:
React Native provides a JavaScript library for building user interfaces that look and feel native on both iOS and Android platforms. Flutter is a comprehensive UI framework with pre-designed widgets for creating beautiful, natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase and Xamarin.Forms, allows developers to create native user interfaces for iOS, Android, and Windows using a single, shared C# codebase.

Testing and Debugging:
Jest is a popular testing framework for JavaScript and React Native applications. It provides tools for writing unit and integration tests. Flutter also includes its own testing tools for unit and widget testing, such as the Flutter Test package and Xamarin Test Cloud, is a cloud-based service for testing Xamarin apps on a wide range of physical devices. Appium is an open-source tool for automating native, mobile web, and hybrid applications on iOS and Android platforms.

Pros of Using Cross-Platform Tech Stack

• Code Reusability: Cross-platform frameworks allow developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, web). This significantly reduces development time and effort.
• Cost Efficiency: Developing a single codebase for multiple platforms can be more cost-effective than building separate native apps. It can also lead to lower maintenance costs in the long run.
• Faster Development: Cross-platform tools often come with a wide range of pre-built components and libraries, speeding up development and prototyping.
• Consistency: Cross-platform apps tend to offer a more consistent user experience across different platforms because they share the same codebase and design elements.

Cons of Using Cross-Platform Tech Stack

• Performance: Cross-platform apps may not perform as well as native apps, especially for resource-intensive tasks or graphics-intensive applications.
• Limited Direct Hardware Access: Some apps may require direct access to device hardware for features such as GPS, sensors, microphone or camera. Cross-platform frameworks may not support all native features and APIs, constraining the scope of what the app can do.
• Slower Updates: Cross-platform frameworks may lag behind native platforms when new features or updates are released. Users of the latest platform versions might miss out on new capabilities.
• Debugging Challenges: Debugging cross-platform apps can be more challenging because issues may be platform-specific and harder to pinpoint.
• Large App Size: Cross-platform apps can sometimes have larger file sizes due to the inclusion of framework libraries, which may affect download and installation times.

Cross-platform development is a viable option for many projects, but it may not be suitable for apps that require extensive native functionality and maximum performance.

Conclusion

In summary, the choice of your tech stack should align with your app’s goals, target audience, and the specific features you want to offer. It’s a critical decision that impacts compatibility, performance, development efficiency, and ultimately the success of your mobile app. At Eleviant, we understand the complexities of these tech stack decisions and we can help you make an informed choice for your project. Whether you’re starting a new project or looking to enhance an existing app, talk to our experts to choose the right tech stack and make your project a success.